July 02, 2025 | By Christopher Delano, Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Navy Medicine, Marine Corps, and the Defense Health Agency celebrated the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic and Human Performance Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 02, 2025.
The facility spans approximately 20,000 square feet and integrates sports medicine physicians, athletic trainers, and allied health professionals in a state-of-the-art environment focused on returning injured School of Infantry-East students to full mission readiness.
“The Camp Geiger SMART Clinic brings targeted, performance-based care to our Marines,” said Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Miles, DHA health facilities planning and project officer. “Every decision–from design to delivery–focused on getting warfighters back to full strength faster. It’s rewarding to see the clinic now open and fulfilling that mission.”
The Camp Geiger SMART Clinic/SOI-East Human Performance Center is part of the Marine Centered Medical Home project which began in 2013. The focus is modernizing all of Camp Lejeune’s various branch clinic services in a joint effort between the Defense Health Agency, the Navy and Marine Corps.
“We're coming from a 6,500 square feet [facility] to 20,000 square feet, so the scalability is there to take bigger groups on and not have to break our companies or platoons into smaller groups; which allows us to work with and educate more people with the same amount of resources,” said Darin Peterson, the Human Performance Center director for SOI-East.
According to Peterson, the new facility is an elite hub for physical education, training, and getting warfighters back in the fight. “It might sound cliché but walking in and seeing a facility that rivals any divisional and college facility creates an immediate buy-in from the warfighter,” Peterson said. “This investment in the Marines and the sailors is about giving back to the warfighter, the actual person with boots on the ground, that has always been the main effort.”
In addition to the updated facilities for the Camp Geiger SMART Clinic, the MCMH initiative has already modernized services at Hadnot Point, Wallace Creek, New River, and French Creek clinics with construction on the Camp Johnson clinic underway.
MCMH French Creek celebrated its grand reopening on June 10. The upgraded facility boasts multiple services under one roof, serving approximately 7,000 Marines and sailors attached to 2nd Marine Logistics Group. Services include primary care, readiness, laboratory, pharmacy, radiology, and immunizations among others.
“It’s been a privilege to serve as the Project Officer for the French Creek Medical Clinic,” said Miles. “This facility reflects the teamwork, precision, and commitment it takes to deliver a modern healthcare environment in direct support of operational forces. From design through activation, every step of this project has been about readiness, access, and ensuring Marines receive the care they need where it matters most.”
NMCCL has provided more than 80 years of dedicated, passionate care for warfighters and beneficiaries at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
